Stogie Guys Friday Sampler LXXIV

In our ongoing effort to make StogieGuys.com as entertaining and reader-friendly as possible, each Friday we’ll post a selection of quick cigar news and stogie-related snippets. We call ‘em Friday Samplers. Enjoy.

1) Red Sox great turned cigar producer Luis Tiant this week announced he will campaign in support of presidential hopeful Bill Richardson. We find this a perplexing move for “El Tiante,” who was nice enough to grant StogieGuys.com an interview back in August. Richardson is an ardent proponent of huge tax increases for tobacco and also an advocate of oppressive smoking bans.

2) The latest cigar publication is The Cigar Report, a quarterly magazine with an active website. The magazine recently debuted and promises to “take readers on far-reaching journeys into this centuries old passion.” It’s a product of Doubledown Media, whose other publications include up-scale magazines aimed at hedge fund managers, private airplane owners, and investment bankers. Among the entries in the first issue are a Q&A with Jimmy Smits, a profile of Drew Estate, and a guide to smoking in New York.

3) We’re not big fans of flavored sticks, but it’s worth mentioning that stogie giant General Cigar – manufacturer of such brands as Macanudo and Punch – recently acquired Havana Honeys. In a widely-distributed press release, COO Daniel Nuñez said General’s “purchase of Havana Honeys represents an opportunity to strengthen our position within the growing flavored segment of the premium cigar category.”

4) Around the Blogs: Cigar Jack smokes a Padilla 1932. Velvet Cigar puffs a Don Lino Africa. Cigar Beat tries the Primos Habana Criollo Rosado. Cigar Command smokes the Griffins 2006. The Stogie Review reviews the Flor de Oliva Corojo.

5) Deal of the Week: In honor of yesterday’s review, today’s deal is a sampler of Don Pepin cigars. For $39.99 you get eight of Pepin’s finest, including two Series JJs and two new JJ maduros. That’s only $5 per cigar, so be sure to grab yours here.

–The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Stogie Guys